Spiders Head to the Red Planet in Mars the RPG

March 10, 2009
Written by Adam Wolfe

The PS3 certainly doesn’t have the plethora of RPG games that its older sibling the PS2 did. Gamezine recently pointed out that French developer Spider is working on an all new sci-fi RPG called “Mars”. The game takes place 200 years after the colonization of Mars. Somehow Mars’ orbit has been altered, causing communication breakdown with Earth and exposing the inhabitants to solar radiation.

There will be two playable characters: Seth, an elite solder, and Pandora, a “technomancer” equipped with several magical abilities. Both stories will be intertwined, giving players two different perspectives of the same world.

It is slated for release on both PC and PS3. Judging from the screenshots, it is still early in development. Below, you will find all the details we have come across. Keep checking back for further details.

Mars is a Sci-fi RPG action game that innovatively merges character development and light and rythmic fights. it takes you on a journey deep into an original futuristic universe and presents you with scenarios dealing with difference, racism and environment.

“In the destroyed world of Mars, two destinies mingle together. Two beings searching for their identity travel across a broken planet, constantly facing bloody political conflicts which tear the old colonies apart. Often divided, sometimes fighting the same enemies, both are the source of the advent of a new era… “

Introduction

Mars aims to renew the RPG gaming experience with more intuitive, faster and more gratifying action phases, while at the same time keeping the specific main features of the genre. The idea is to blend two genres, Beat’em all Action and RPG, combining character progression, immersion, equipment collection, additional quests and a solid storyline with rhythmic combat sequences, a sense of power from the beginning of the game and of course QTE and bosses with sequential behaviour.

This combination leads to a true innovative gameplay supported by many other key features:You can choose between two characters whose different stories intertwine and whose skills vary. The game’s environment has been designed to be an asset in itself, or an important part of the gameplay, with lighting effects which create unprecedented combat situations.

The world created for Mars has been designed to offer a true voyage in the heart of a totally new universe mingling decadent futuristic technology and precarious survival on a planet with highly extreme conditions.

The storyline leads you to discover your own identity in a web of political intrigue and complex conflicts between forces, allowing you to better understand the world you are travelling. Many scripted sequences give rise to the action and storyline, creating unforgettable moments.

Combat

The combat phases are dynamic and spectacular no matter your level of implication during the quests. Most confrontations are brief: you move from one enemy to the other striking or throwing spells one after the other. Combat against the bosses or champions lasts longer though, as you must use different tactics to beat them.

As you can also modify your environment by breaking part of a roof or moving metal plates to use light as a weapon, the fights gain a more strategic dimension.

Playing the role of Pandora is as intense as playing Seth. To make her cast her most powerful spells a precise timing is required as well as constant movement to avoid being interrupted. Even though she is less powerful she is more agile, and just like the warrior needs his weapons, she is nothing without her gauntlets which allow her to canalize her fluid.

All enemies, if wounded enough, can be finished off in a spectacular way.

Two characters : two stories and two forms of gameplay

Mars allows you to choose between two characters with different skills and Abilities : Seth, is an elite soldier and highly skilled fighter who tends to act brutally even if athletically. As he progresses in the game he can learn many special attacks and how to master new weapons.

Pandora on the other hand is a technomancer who handles fluids with catalyst gauntlets to produce devastating magic. But more than just using different skills, playing each character results in a different control and gameplay. Their story varies a lot even though it follows a similar course, allowing you to discover two versions of Mars.

Light effects

On Mars sunlight is deadly, which means you can use it during combat to beat your enemies. Seth and Pandora can make gaps in rooftops of different buildings they are fighting on to expose their opponents to sunrays, use mirrors to reflect light on them or push them away from the protection of shady paths.

You can modify the architecture of the environment during combat while making sure your character is not exposed to sunrays and watch out for shadows moving position around the sun’s movement. The impact the sun has on the gameplay provides a new feature not only during combat but during the entire game itself.

A new world

The Mars universe is unprecedented, not at all like normal mythological or fantasy worlds, offering a journey in a credible futuristic world where survival and the ability to adapt are keys to be able to withstand a hostile, desperate and decadent environment. The game’s story, complex political system and religion, as well as its many creatures and different inhabitants lead you through an unforgettable journey in an “extraterrestrial” world.